Br. Aureliano García Manzanal appointed Provincial of Mediterránea
In a letter of 11 June, addressed to the Brothers of the Province of Mediterránea, Brother Ernesto Sánchez, Superior General, announced that the General Council, after studying the survey carried out in the Province, has appointed Brother Aureliano García Manzanal as Provincial of Mediterránea for a first term of three years.
“Thank you, Aureliano, for your availability and generosity in serving the Institute and the Province of Mediterránea as Provincial. Your joy and creativity, your ability to dialogue and to adapt to different situations, as well as your experience as Councillor and Vice-Provincial and your experience and participation in the XXII General Chapter will be of great help to you”, says Br Ernesto in his letter.
Br Aureliano will replace Br Juan Carlos Fuertes, Provincial since 2016. He will take office as Provincial during the celebration of the next Provincial Chapter, which will take place from 2 to 4 January 2022.
Br. Ernesto also thanked Br. Juan Carlos: “My thanks for his years of dedication to the life and works of the Province of Mediterránea. Thank you very much, Juan Carlos! You have carried out your mission with simplicity, joy and availability, facing the challenges that have arisen during these years”.
The Mediterranean Province is present in Spain, Italy, Lebanon and Syria. He has also accompanied the District of West Africa, which will begin as a new Province next August.
Br. Aureliano García
He was born in Castromorca (Burgos) on 22 May 1966. In September 1977 he went to the Marist seminary of Guardamar and there he began his Marist story.
He began his novitiate in 1983 in Salamanca and there he made his first profession as a brother on 30 June 1985. He also made his scholasticate in Salamanca.
His first community as a Brother was in Alicante in 1989-90; he taught primary school and worked in the school pastoral team.
From 1990 to 1994 in Algemesí, teacher, pastoral delegate and school secretary. From 1994 to 1997 in Valencia. He was a teacher and studied psychology at university.
From 1997 to 2000 in the insertion community of Barrio del Cristo (Valencia). He worked in Proyecto Hombre and directed a flat opened by the Brothers as a commitment to the world of marginalisation (Piso Hermanos). From 2000 to 2001, he was director of the Marist school in Cartagena.
He was a missionary in Ghana from 2001 to 2009. During these years he was superior of the community of Kumasi and coordinator of development projects; also, from 2006 to 2009 he was councillor of the Marist District of West Africa.
From 2010 to 2015 he was Provincial Councillor and Coordinator of the Council of Marist Educational Works (COEM) of the Province of Mediterránea. His community during those years was Guardamar (Alicante).
Since 2015 he has been living in the community of Torrente (Hogar Champagnat, centre for minors), and is currently vice-provincial and coordinator of the Brothers Today Team of the province. He also coordinates the Brothers Today Europe team.